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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — a weight
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com